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April 2, 2014

You've seen my hand-me-down dresser on the blog before.I painted it a few years ago so I could have
a full matching set of bedroom furniture.Well now that I have replaced most of the old set, the only piece that
doesn't match is the dresser.The piece
is great, it just doesn't match.So I
went about stripping it.I didn't think
that I'd be able to do it while living in an apartment.Sanding it with a power sander is out of the
question.It just kicks up too much
sawdust and it gets all over everything.In addition to inhaling all that stuff.Next option is stripping it with a chemical stripper.Also out of the question because of the
enclosed space and dog, or so I thought.I found a product while looking around online called Citristrip.It promises to strip off layers of paint
without the bad smell, the toxic fumes, etc.I went to Home Depot and picked up a bottle of it, a pail, and a plastic
scraper.I already had drop cloths and
sponges to use.

The product is really easy to use.You just wipe a thick coat on and leave
it.As you can see from the photos, the
product bubbles as it removes your layers of paint.My dresser had a few layers of polyurethane,
paint, and then the original covering on it (I'm not sure what it was).

The package says to leave it on for 20 minutes to 24
hours.I covered my piece and by the
time I was finished covering, the first area I worked on was ready to be
stripped.I didn't have to use any
force, just push the product off the surface.

There was still a bit of reside left from the original finish
that didn't come off, so I put another layer on those spots.

This second layer got most of the rest
off.I'll sand the little bits that are
left and it will be ready for my new stain!

I can't believe how easy this product was.And completely safe to use in an apartment,
around pets, and it doesn't hurt you if you get it on your skin!

March 30, 2014

I am a crazy person.I thought sewing a swim suit would be a good idea since I cannot find
suits that fit by body.I am a
"well-endowed" person so I need a piece that fully covers and
supports.So no triangle tops or regular
halter ones.I had one from Victoria's
Secret a few years ago that had the support, but it was about an inch too short
to fully cover what needs to be covered.

I found a pattern online at Burda, and it was also the first
Burda pattern I've ever bought.It's this bustier top, Burda #127. I designed
the bottom, using another swim suit as a pattern.

Sewing something that has to fit perfectly to your body is
not an easy task.I bought swimsuit jersey
fabric and lining, and used an old bra for support.You can buy the underwire and support pieces
online, but it is a lot cheaper to just use an old one.I cut out my pieces, sewed them all together,
then ran into a problem where the lining kept rolling to the outside and I
couldn't get the lining to stay on the inside.I finally was able to figure out that since the lining had more stretch
than the outside, it was pulling.So I
recut it to be a bit smaller, and that fixed the problem completely.

March 27, 2014

These curtains are probably be biggest splurge in designing
our bedroom.I saw them and immediately
knew that they would be perfect and my husband would love them (he usually
doesn't care about any of my crazy decorating ideas).And I was able to add another rustic element
to the room.

I folded the fabric down the middle and cut a straight
line.Hemmed the sides and bottom, and
sewed a casing in the top to slide the curtain rod through.I know the rules say that you should buy
twice the length of your window in fabric, but I couldn't spend that much on
new curtains.So these curtains lay flat
when they are closed, but no one is looking at them at night.

March 24, 2014

I love when I get strange sewing requests from people.Usually the requests I get are pretty normal,
like will you fix a seam for me.Not
this time though!I got a request
through work to make a set of Avengers masks for a skit to perform in front of
children.

I had to find a way to make the masks recognizable while not
completely covering the actors' faces.I
ended up using pieces of craft felt in different colors and different layers
for effect. It was all hand sewn, though
it probably could have been sewn on a machine.I was doing it at work, so I didn't have access to one.

I also made a Captain America shield (it was for a
synagogue, hence the different star in the middle), and a helmet out of
cardstock for Thor.

With a few other costume pieces, the skit went off
smashingly.Yes... I went there...
Smash.

March 21, 2014

My
husband loves maps.He spends free time
just looking at maps online.He even has
a favorite map representation.So for
our anniversary this year, I knew exactly what I had to make him.A gigantic map of the world.I guess I can't really call it gigantic
though... it's very tiny compared to the actual world.

I
found a picture of his favorite map and printed it onto a transparency.Luckily, the place I work at had a projector
around that I was able to use.I
projected the map onto the canvas and traced the outline.Once home, I painted the map with teal and
copper acrylic paints.To get texture in
the paint, I applied the paint liberally, practically just globbing it on.I had to do a few coats to get the canvas
completely covered, but the paint dried fast so there isn't too much down time.Now I just need to find a way to frame it on
the wall!

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About Me

I live in Chicago with my amazing husband and an adorable deaf boxer, Zoey. I’m sure you’ll see lots of her around here. I have an education degree that is burning a hole in my pocket, so I have to find ways to keep busy. I always have a project going on and am always looking for new things to try out, and you'll get to see my attempts (successful and not) at sewing, cooking, home decor, and more!